Fall Blooming Camellias are Wonderful Landscape Plants

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at
8:46 pm

Camellia sasanqua i.e. fall-blooming camellias are a group of hardy, durable, evergreen shrubs native to Asia. They make spectacular additions to partially shaded landscapes, offering evergreen foliage and showy flowers at a time of the year when most plants are going to bed for the winter.

Several types of fall blooming camellias varieties are available, with habits ranging from low-growing, spreading shrubs to upright vigorous bushes that can be trained to grow as small trees.

Camellia sasanqua usually thrive in areas where azaleas do well.Like azaleas, they prefer to grow in well-drained, acidic soil that has been amended with compost. Though they will grow in full shade, flowering will be more prolific in areas where they get sun for at least a few hours a day. Sasanquas will also grow in full sun but usually look better in areas where they receive some afternoon shade.

Fall-blooming camellias are only moderately drought tolerant. In heavy soils that contain some clay, they rarely need additional watering except during drought. In sandy soils, weekly watering during summer will certainly help them grow better. A three- to four-inch layer of mulch will also help by preserving moisture and keeping the soil cooler.

Camellia sasanqua i.e.fall-blooming camellias have their spring counterpart, Camellia japonica. between these two varieties the “time of bloom” is the biggest difference, with sasanquas blooming in fall and early winter and japonicas blooming in late winter and spring. In addition, fall-blooming camellias look a little different than spring-blooming camellias, tending to have slightly smaller leaves and flowers and a less formal appearance. Their flowers range in color from white to pink to red and may be single, semi-double or fully double.

Your garden center must be having several varieties of fall-blooming camellias specific to your area.You need to check for the most appropriate variety that suits your landscape. Taller varieties make beautiful, though moderately slow-growing, hedges or specimen plants. Overgrown camellias can even be turned into small trees by pruning off their lower branches.

Low-growing selections fit well among foundation plantings or in perennial beds. For smaller spaces, several fall-blooming camellia varieties are available that mature at 5 feet or less.

Producing deep red-pink, semi-double flowers in October and November, “Bonanza” will eventually reach 5 feet in height with a wider spread and can be used in foundation plantings or as a low hedge. “Chansonette,” a seedling of “Bonanza,” has a similar habit with brighter rose pink flowers.

“Shishigashira” is a popular, long-blooming variety that produces an abundance of double dark rose-pink blossoms throughout fall, eventually reaching 5 feet tall and wide with a spreading, compact habit. Though a little larger-growing, “Mine No Yuki”‘ can easily be kept small enough to use as a foundation plant with minimal pruning. A profuse bloomer, “Mine No Yuki” bears double white flowers and has a spreading, loose habit with pendulous branches that will eventually reach 6 feet or more in height and spread.

Larger growing camellias are spectacular in the fall landscape. “Kanjiro,” a vigorous, upright variety, can grow to 10 feet or more and is usually taller than it is wide, making it a good choice to train as a small tree or use as a hedge. Its single, bright rosy red flowers are crowned in the center with a cluster of golden yellow stamens.

“Setsugekka” has a similar growth form, but bears large, semi-double, white blossoms that will light up any autumn garden. For a spectacular specimen shrub, consider planting “Sparkling Burgundy.” This reliable variety bears rose pink double blooms and is often one of the first fall blooming camellias to flower. “Sparkling Burgundy” will grow to eight feet tall and wide with a dense, bushy habit.

For a later-blooming variety consider “Yuletide,” which bears crimson red single flowers with golden centers around Thanksgiving and Christmas. “Yuletide” is a fairly slow-growing camellia, eventually reaching 10 feet in height with a narrow upright habit that makes it great for spots where horizontal space is limited.